obeisance

noun

Definition of obeisancenext
as in homage
a show of respect or acknowledgement of the authority or importance of another They made obeisance before the king and queen. She earned herself some political enemies when she failed to make the proper obeisance to those in power.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of obeisance But as wrong-headed as the Court’s obeisance to the executive branch has been (see, for example, its 2024 ruling on Presidential immunity), that deference has its limits. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026 After a decade of seemingly supine obeisance, there is no obvious reason why the military leadership would suddenly rouse itself to oppose Xi. — Jonathan A. Czin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2025 But Zuckerberg isn’t the only one paying abject obeisance to the president. — Max Taves, Mercury News, 11 July 2025 In the first case, Obama was accused of showing obeisance to a foreign ruler and Islam. — Brendan Cole shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for obeisance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obeisance
  1. homage
  2. respect
  3. salute
  4. nod
  5. bow
  6. reverence
  7. submissiveness
Noun
  • The Heritage Wing is the quieter, more reverential counterpart—lower-rise and more intimate, designed as a direct homage to the original 1962 Okura.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • That means arbitrary Drake covers and Max B homages, smooth ballads on smashing cougars and dirty macking.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of homage
Noun
  • In Ossoff, Democrats were buoyed by a candidate who won respect at home even from some Republican officials for the strength of his constituent services.
    — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The governing body also called off the official presentation for Spain’s Under-21 international against Japan as a mark of respect and solidarity towards De Miguel’s family, teammates and Tenerife supporters.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of respect
Noun
  • Lawrence flashed the three-finger salute made famous by her Hunger Games character for the cameras.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The post accused bar employees of ignoring complaints about the costume and claimed the man made Nazi salutes.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of salute
Noun
  • The interiors play on terracotta tones that nod at once to the neighborhood’s brick walls and clay tennis courts, with white as a further reminder of the sport.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The Euphoria alum posed in nothing but a string bikini top and matching low-rise pants in a nod to a 2000-era look.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of nod
Noun
  • The layout includes a full-beam owner’s suite at the bow, two guest cabins on the lower deck, and a flexible living/galley space amidships that can become a third cabin if desired.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Teyana Taylor managed to tick both boxes in an architectural Nicholas Oakwell Couture pantsuit, festooned with a giant bow below the waist.
    — Danielle Naer, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of bow
Noun
  • For Tokyoites, meanwhile—especially those of an Anglophile persuasion, given Japan’s long-standing reverence for British tailoring, subcultures, and craft—the appeal lay in the opposite direction.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Twisted Teens’ most compelling quality might be the fact that their obvious reverence for rock’n’roll history still leaves plenty of room for mystery, and the intrigue deepens on The Holy Cross Tigers, the group’s third full-length of 2026.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of reverence
Noun
  • Attraction is a function of parentage and looks and submissiveness.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026
  • But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.
    — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of submissiveness

Browse Nearby Words

obedient
obeisance
obeisant
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Cite this Entry

“Obeisance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obeisance. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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